Privatization of Railway starts up with Kayakalp PPP and Reliance has to make profit all the way!
Privatization of Railway starts up with Kayakalp PPP and Reliance has to make profit all the way!
Privatization of Railway starts up with Kayakalp PPP and Reliance has to make profit all the way!
Trade unions compromised as apart from Tata Group's Chairman Emeritus, the Kaya Kalp council also have two railway union leaders Shiv Gopal Mishra and M Raghuvaiah.
Railway employees might not be aware of. The greatest public sector service, the greatest lifeline worldwide, is being privatised. As the privatisation just started before the recommendations of Debroy panel have to be legislated. Thus, Reliance Industries Ltd, controlled by India’s richest man, has started selling diesel to the state railways for the first time since 2005/06 after pricing of the fuel was freed.
Mind you, the railway has already floated global tenders for the Rs 2500 crore project involving procurement-cum-maintenance contract for 15 Electrical Multiple Unit (EMU) Train Sets.
E-Ticket booking, catering, construction and Railway related services have already been handed over to Private players.
Mind you, Indian Railways, the country’s biggest diesel guzzler, consumes up to 2.5 million tonnes of the fuel each year. Until last year, it received supplies from state refiners who used to be compensated for selling fuel at below-market rates.
Meanwhile the government freed diesel pricing last October, providing a level playing field to private companies like Reliance and Essar Oil.
It means profit making all the way for Reliance.
Earlier, even before the Debroy panel report to privatize Indian Railway was made public, it had been decided that the noted industrialist Ratan Tata would head a new innovative council of Indian Railways, called 'Kaya Kalp', formed to turn around the ailing state-run rail network.
Now try to understand who makes policy for this government and what the role of the Parliament remains as well as what is the relevance of legislation at all.
Trade unions compromised as apart from Tata Group's Chairman Emeritus, the Kaya Kalp council also have two railway union leaders Shiv Gopal Mishra and M Raghuvaiah.
Mr Tata will head the Kaya Kalp council, while General Secretaries of All-India Railwaymen Federation and National Federation of Indian Railwaymen will also be the members of the council, according to railway spokesperson in media reports.
The railway has already floated global tenders for the Rs 2500 crore project involving procurement-cum-maintenance contract for 15 Electrical Multiple Unit (EMU) Train Sets.
On 15th July this year, the dry bulk cargo terminal at Tuna Tekra near Kandla port was connected with railway network of the country as Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu flagged off the first goods train on Gandhidham-Tuna Tekra through remote-control system from Rail Bhavan in New Delhi.
This is second non-government railway line in Gujarat after one connecting Pipapav port in Amreli. The 17.55 km-long broad gauge railway line is a private rail and has been constructed at the cost of Rs185 crore. Kandla Port Trust (KPT) which manages Kandla port and Adani Port and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) of Adani Group have funded the railway project.
Excalibur Stevens Biswas
